Bath door to existing jamb

House Repair Talk

Help Support House Repair Talk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Reelsix

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 6, 2016
Messages
49
Reaction score
4
Hi - I am looking to add a 24" x 80" door to my bathroom that has existing jamb/cased opening. The jamb is not perfectly square but it is not far off either. Unfortunately, removing the jamb and casing would be very difficult with how the tile is laid near the opening and with how tight the trim is to one of the walls and another opening that has a pocket door. Is hanging a slab door to a slightly unsquare jamb exceptionally difficult? Is it possible to hang the door straight by slightly angling the new hinges? The door will need to be trimmed as well as the opening is closer to 23.75".

I am pretty handy but have never hung a door... Any advice on process or links to relevant articles or videos would be appreciated. I searched a good bit and have not found many sources specific to this. Thanks
 
Ideally, you want to square and plumb the jamb first, to minimize milling the door, so to start, square the header using a framing square, which will tell you if you need to trim the door, or you can live with just using a wider stop.

Fit the door in the opening:Set the hinge side of the door against the jamb, and drive a 3" screw into the latch side at a height that corresponds with the other lock sets in the dwelling, pull the door to you until it fits against the latch side of the jamb, mark with a pencil, mill the door. Set the door hinges too correspond with the other doors in the house.

If the door is to swing in, and the exterior side of the cased opening is wider, then that's not a big deal. If the reverse is true then you can play with the hinges or taper the side of the door.
 
Thanks for the response. Sorry but I am not following the purpose of the nail on the latch side. Is it to help pull the door laterally?

Is it correct to assume that the hinges need to be hung square even if the jamb is not? Unfortunately, I will not be able to square up the jamb. Thanks
 
Correct. There will be a block in the door so the screw will not be pulling against the doors finished panel.

There are several ways to shim and adjust hinges
 
Are you going with a hollow core or solid core door? Some doors allow more trimming than others-- although, beware that some "solid" core doors actually have foam inside them instead of something actually solid. A truly solid core door might be easier to trim up, but be careful not to delaminate the door (unless you're getting one that is actually solid wood & not laminated pieces glued on top of wood around the perimeter).
 
Are you going with a hollow core or solid core door? Some doors allow more trimming than others-- although, beware that some "solid" core doors actually have foam inside them instead of something actually solid. A truly solid core door might be easier to trim up, but be careful not to delaminate the door (unless you're getting one that is actually solid wood & not laminated pieces glued on top of wood around the perimeter).
Thanks for the heads up. Yes, I plan to use a solid core door and keeping an eye on how much I can trim for the sides.
 
No problem. I found out about the foam as "solid core" the hard way-- was adding a pet door & was shocked at how easily my drill slipped through the center once it got through the steel.
A solid wood slab door will probably work best.
It might help to use some cardboard or something to make a template of the doorway so you know how far off it is & how much you will have to cut from the door.
 
Maybe buy a sheet of cdx plywood for templating.

Afterwards, it can always be used somewhere for something.
 
Back
Top